


A Selfless Act

by HerArdentWish



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-29
Updated: 2014-08-29
Packaged: 2018-02-15 05:39:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 811
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2217795
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HerArdentWish/pseuds/HerArdentWish





	A Selfless Act

The Snow Queen's arm flung wide and ice shot from her fingertips. Regina could see its trajectory and reacted, one thought forming before she jumped in front of the woman it was directed towards.  _Not Marian, not Roland's mother_. It was all she had time for before the icy blast hit her square in the chest, knocking the breath from her lungs as she fell. She heard someone yell out, but all she could think about was the bitter cold, spreading throughout her body. She had never felt so cold before, not even in the harsh winters of Maine, and it numbed all of her senses. The world shifted and she felt like she was floating, detached from the body she could no longer feel.

 

Robin looked on in abject horror as Regina's body hit the ice. He felt paralyzed, frozen in fear, and he heard someone screaming. It was a moment before he recognized the voice as his own, shouting her name, clawing its way out of his throat. He had a vague sense that the fighting continued around him, David brandishing his sword at the icy queen with Snow at his side, bow drawn and arrow notched. None of that seemed to matter as he rushed across the ice toward Regina's still form, clumsily slipping in his desperation. It seemed an eternity before he was finally next to her, crumbling to the ground on weak knees. He reached for her, pulling her into his lap, and yanking a glove off with his teeth. He pressed his hand to her cheek, checking for warmth and finding none.

“Regina,” he choked. “Regina, please.” But she didn’t respond, her body seeming to grow colder still. He pulled her in tighter, futilely hoping to transfer some of his heat to her body. Her dark hair fell over her face and he reached out, burying his hands in it as he had so many times before and turning her face up to the sky. But where he had once reveled in the feel of her hair, soft strands caressing the pads of his finger, now he found only hardness and fragility. Each strand felt like a wire, dry and cold – frozen.

 

She struggled to open her eyes, her own muscles waging war with her mind, fighting the invading cold. She saw a gloved hand in the corners of her vision and with extreme effort, twisted her gaze up to find him staring down at her, eyes wide and fearful.  _Robin_ , _her Robin_. No, he wasn't hers, she remembered belatedly, but the cold was spreading to her head and even her thoughts felt like they were freezing.

She felt something hit her cheek, freezing on impact, and she realized that Robin was crying. His mouth was moving and she strained to hear what he was saying. She watched his lips move, and knew he was saying "Regina" – she'd never forget how his lips looked when uttering her name. She couldn't bear to see him so sad, so she smiled; at least she thought she was smiling. Her lips crackled and burned with cold and her fingers twitched, trying to reach up and smooth the wrinkles from his worried face.

 

Robin saw her smiling through the haze of his tears. This blasted, beautiful woman lay in his arms, her warmth and life slowing leaving her body, and she was _smiling_ at him. His heart rent in two and he cursed himself for every moment he had spent away from her these past weeks. He was a damned fool and he had let his so-called ‘honor’ decide the battle between his mind and his heart. How could he have been so blind?

 

She watched, from behind the frosty veil now beginning to obstruct her vision, as Robin leaned down, pressing his lips to her temple. He was so close, she knew from the whisper of his breath in her ear, the puff of air made visible in the chill, but she could not feel the heat from his skin.

“Regina. You can’t leave me, don’t you dare. I love you”

Her eyes widened, swiveling to meet his, and she could see the truth of his words, lighting a fire behind that blue she loved so much. And then he was kissing her, the fire behind his eyes spreading to her lips. They melted under his touch, warm and tingling as sensation returned and the fire spread throughout her body.

She knew the instant it thawed her freezing heart and she cried out against his lips, the pain suddenly acute and everywhere. But he was pulling back and looking at her with that crooked smile on his face, tears still falling from his eyes. His hands found her face and he whispered it again, "I love you, Regina." And none of the pain mattered, then, or ever again.

 


End file.
